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refractive

American

[ri-frak-tiv] / rɪˈfræk tɪv /

adjective

of or relating to refraction.
Also having power to refract.

Other Word Forms

nonrefractive adjective
nonrefractively adverb
nonrefractiveness noun
refractively adverb
refractiveness noun
unrefractive adjective
unrefractively adverb
unrefractiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of refractive

First recorded in 1665–75, refractive is from the Late Latin word refrāctīvus (of pronouns) reflexive. See refract, -ive

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There is a strange, refractive moment at the end of this Fanatics commercial where Kendall Jenner bets on the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl.

From Slate • Feb. 8, 2026

By comparing the patterns in forward- and back-scattered light, they could estimate each particle's size and its refractive index, which describes how strongly light bends or scatters when it passes through a material.

From Science Daily • Nov. 17, 2025

“If somehow that feedback is broken, for example, if kids are exposed to only a certain kind of wavelength, then that can mess up your refractive development.”

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2025

However, the resin utilized as the printing material suffers from a drawback -- a low refractive index, hindering efficient light manipulation.

From Science Daily • May 9, 2024

An optometer is an instrument for measuring refractive errors in eyes— in order that corrective lenses may be prescribed.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023